#it's taking me forever to watch a single ep bc i'm looking up so many words and making vocab lists and all

[airenyah]

there goes the sign again with classical music and we've moved on from beethoven to mozart's kleine nachtmusik

[idealisticrealism]

TCL 3x06 thoughts (and many feelings)

Well, as expected, this ep basically broke my heart into a million tiny pieces- but still, they really did give Arman the best send-off that they could given the circumstances, and I’m so, so grateful for it.

Breaking the recap up a bit differently this week because I have a lot to say about everyone lol

But of course, I have to start with my beloved boy Arman, and Armony. I always knew that this ep was going to break me, and man, they didn’t waste any time doing it… less than 4 mins in and the tears were already flowing from hearing him saying the Reloj line, because seriously, knowing that this was his one chance to pass on a message to the people in his life, and that he chose that??? God it was powerful seeing Nadia and the others incorrectly assuming the message simply meant that he was running out of time, vs seeing Thony's jaw clench on hearing it because she knew the truth, knew that it was meant for her alone. In some ways, it was a “I think my time is up and I'm the one leaving forever in the morning, and that's okay” kind of message, but it was also a “this is me telling you I love you, because I never got the chance before”, and a “no matter what they do to me, in my mind I'm there, dancing with you by the fire.” No wonder she reaches for a beer the moment she gets home, knowing that there’s the chance she will be able to hold him in her arms again in only a matter of hours, but not being able to do anything to make it happen except just sit and wait for news. Well, at least until the moment she sees the report and understands Dante’s involvement, and then there’s no holding back anymore, no more trusting others to save him. Her blind determination to go find him and bring him home is exactly like how she acted when Luca was dying or when Fi was deported; it’s the way she always responds when someone she loves desperately needs her, and I love that Arman is so clearly in that category. (Okay gotta break this up bc of Tumblr's character limit lol)

Anyway ugh the entire time she was at the apartments I could feel my heart in my throat, because god, she got so close. (Oh and the way she instantly recognised the jacket and then knew with a single sniff that it was his?? Help???). But anyway ugh when the kid pointed them to the apartment, and she saw him right there through the window, only for him to be stolen away again in the mere couple of minutes it took her to get back around to the apartment’s front door.... Ughhh these two have been star-crossed from the start, but it was so hard to watch the final acts of their tragedy unfolding. I'll never be over the fact that for days, he was kept in a haze of drugs and pain, and yet we (and Thony!) know from his message that he spent that time thinking of her, escaping his reality by living in the moments they’d shared. And her own drug-induced hallucination of him was equally heartbreaking… god, to see her be so honest and unreserved in the way she looked at him and held him and spoke to him ("I’m gonna take you home, I'm never gonna let you go again”)... like damn, in that moment we really got to see the unfiltered, uninhibited truth of her feelings for him, the truth she never got to tell him and that he never got to hear.

But still, I’d like to think that he knew it anyway, especially when he saw her there in that car– saw that she had come for him, that she was trying so hard to save him, even at risk to herself. (Naturally I wish that we could have had his real face for that heart-wrenching moment of goodbye, but it was close enough, and when it comes down to it, that moment was still truly Arman and Thony no matter what). And while I’m sure Arman would have wished that he could live, that he could have stayed and built a life with her, we also saw multiple indications in the past 2 seasons that Arman knew and accepted that an early death was likely for him, if not practically inevitable, just like it had been for Mateo and Carlos and Bosco. And so for him to get to go out on his own terms, and in the act of saving Thony? It was exactly the death that he would have wanted. (On first watch I was sobbing too hard to notice that he didn't just knock the gun away and cause chaos in the car, he actually also grabbed the wheel and deliberately drove them off the cliff, meaning he truly chose for himself how he met his death). Honestly, it was literally the exact kind of ending I'd been predicting for him ever since s1– both the culmination of his hero arc, and also the ultimate fulfillment of his vow to protect her.  I'm so, so thankful that he got to have that, got to go out fast and painlessly and like the hero he was, rather than dying in the hangar or alone in that grungy apartment, and I’m even more thankful that he got to see her one last time, got to have that final goodbye with her. He died knowing she loved him and never gave up on him, and knowing that his death would ensure she got to live on; and for him, that would have been everything. And as devastating as it was to see Thony on her knees on the cliff, staring up into the sky as everything faded into white and El Reloj began to play... it was also heartbreakingly beautiful- seeing them dancing together again truly felt like getting a glimpse into his heaven, like it was telling us 'This is where he is now. This is where he'll always be"- and though it'll still always hurt to have lost him, I can be at peace with that.

(Though ngl, this ep was full of 'if onlys' that are going to haunt both us and Thony forever... If only Chris hadn't blocked the toilet today of all days. If only Thony had called a different plumber. If only JD's friend hadn't gotten him the arrest report. If only Ramona hadn't put a tail on Thony that caused her and Fi to have to rely on Jeremy for a ride rather than going on their own. If only Thony had been able to trust that Jorge wasn't involved and had called him instead. If only Nadia hadn't sent her the address for the meet location. If only if only if only. The show has always centred around this theme (all the way back to 1x01 and ‘if only Thony hadn’t encouraged the underground fighter to make her own choices, then the fighter may have done what Theo ordered her to and deliberately lost the fight, and then Tarik wouldn’t have killed Theo and Thony wouldn't have witnessed it, and none of this would have happened’), and it's a vital aspect of both the storytelling (because if none of that had happened, then there's no story at all) and also of Thony's character development. But obviously in this instance we all know that the writers had no other choice, and that there was no way this ep could have gone differently anyway, not after the loss of Adan. We know that, but Thony doesn't, and so it's going to be devastating to see Thony blame herself for yet another death, especially the death of someone she loved so deeply.)

But alright let’s talk about who is actually responsible for Arman’s death, because while Thony inadvertently contributed to it, she absolutely wasn’t the one who directly led to them being in that situation! Let’s start with Dante: firstly, I knew it was very suss that he ‘accidentally’ killed that guy in the last ep! And then when I saw the BTS pics for 3x06 last week and saw that Thony and Fi were going to go to the same apartment buildings that Dante got arrested at, it was clear that he was definitely involved in Arman’s abduction somehow. So either it’s option 1, and that giant bastard knew just how deeply Ramona wanted Arman back in their lives and figured he could not only give her what she wanted, but could also use the opportunity to score a fuck-ton of money without Ramona ever knowing of his involvement; or it’s option 2, and he abducted Arman on Ramona’s orders so that she could a) get her hands on a bunch of Nadia's money, and b) receive Arman's gratitude for saving him, which would then lead to his return into the family. Personally I think that option 1/Dante working alone is much more likely, and I'd also prefer it to option 2, because if Ramona was involved it would completely ruin the enjoyment I’ve been getting out of her character and her sibling relationship with Jorge. So I'm really hoping that it was all just Dante’s plan, and that Ramona and Jorge believe Thony when she tells them about Dante’s role in Arman's kidnapping (and therefore his death) and then they fucking murder him for it. 

Speaking of murdering, that brings me to Jeremy Fucking Dolan. (Yes, I literally looked up his last name on IMDB purely bc I felt the need to put a curse word in it). It’s funny, but from the very first moment his character was announced and it was mentioned in his bio that he would befriend Thony while hiding a dark secret, I had an almost irrational level of hatred for him, even more than I had for Jorge’s character, which was definitely odd and inexplicable given that Jorge’s bio made him sound like he was purely meant to be an unwanted ‘Arman 2.0’/potential love interest, which I obviously did not want in the slightest. But if I’d been given the option to get rid of one of them before S3 even started, it would have been Jeremy with no hesitation. The moment he made his appearance, I called it that he was actually an undercover FBI agent who was using Thony to get to Arman, which was maddening enough because she just didn’t deserve to be manipulated in that way, or to be betrayed by someone whom she had been isolated and vulnerable enough to risk trusting. And then that undercover bastard not only uses her, but ends up being the very reason that the FBI shows up right at the worst moment– not only preventing the exchange, but also causing the chase that kills Arman??? I don't care if he was only doing his job and trying to catch criminals, goddammit, I still hate him so much, and it's going to destroy Thony (even more than she already has been destroyed after losing Arman) when she eventually puts it together and realises that her trusting Jeremy directly contributed to Arman’s death. Which is why I’m over here violently daydreaming of a moment sometime late in the season where Jorge and Ramona finally manage to capture Jeremy, and then they bring Thony in and let her pull the fucking trigger and end him. (I mean, is it at all likely that she would go that dark, even to avenge Arman? Well, no. But thinking about it certainly gives me great satisfaction so I’m sticking with it lol)

Anyway, moving onto something more positive– if you wanna find the MVP of this ep, you only have to look at Fi!!! I loved her for the kind and understanding way she addressed Thony's connection to Arman, and the way she almost got Thony to acknowledge her feelings for him. Though I guess in that moment she could see that Thony still wasn’t ready to talk about it, and so she tried to ease Thony's mental discomfort by shifting focus to jokes about Jeremy (gross). Still, throughout the ep she was just so completely ride or die for Thony, like she has always been, and honestly Thony needs that, needs her. And not just for her badass lock-picking skills haha (taught to her by Paolo maybe??). Basically, Thony is like the Frodo of this series, carrying a huge burden and going through unimaginable things, but Fi is like her Sam, and it’s only with Fi’s support that Thony is able to keep pushing forward through everything. Obviously the loss of Arman, the other vital person in her life (does that make him Gandalf??) is going to be absolutely crushing for her, and I think Fi is going to be even more incredible in the coming episodes as she supports Thony through her grief and devastation. Ngl, I already had a fic idea about Fi going and getting Arman's jacket back for Thony, and it makes me cry just thinking about it ugh

In addition to Fi and Thony, I did love the whole De La Rosa fam vibe early in the episode, with Chris and Jaz bickering, and Thony and Fi making a fuss of Luca, and then Chris gently telling them to ease off when Luca got overwhelmed– it felt so nice to have them all reunited again and just getting to be a ‘normal’ family getting ready for school in the morning, and for Fi and Thony to be dealing with problems like blocked toilets and wet clothes rather than threats of deportation or dangerous cartels or the FBI. Chris worrying over missing Camila’s call was super cute too; I’m glad we got to have another mention of her and I hope we get to see her again soon. As for Luca, I’m really happy he’s started school, mostly bc it frees up Thony’s schedule haha, but also because it’s an important step for both him and Thony in moving forward with their lives. Thony has lived in an endless loop of ~My Child Is Dying~ for 6 years, and finally (thanks to her and Fi and Arman, like she said in the ep) that cycle has finally been broken. Luca will always need careful monitoring of his health, of course, but Thony isn’t trapped by his illness anymore, and I’m excited to see what potential  paths that will open up for her. I will always wish that one of those paths could have been a relationship with Arman, and I'm sure she does too, but as long as she finds happiness and purpose, I'll be satisfied.

Okay, so Jorge showing up at the school was pretty great honestly; like he says, it kind of is their thing to just show up uninvited into each other's spaces, and plus I think he actually truly did want to help make the moment a little easier on her by being there and distracting her/reassuring her as a fellow parent. I also loved the sweatshirt mention lol, it was a good throwback and I enjoy that he’s comfortable enough with her to tease her. Just shows how much their relationship has changed in the week or so since he first tossed that sweatshirt at her in a different school parking lot!! And he definitely won points with me here by going out of his way to get the info for her about the legal/CPS stuff without being asked, and though he explained it away as basically just him buying her influence over Arman in regards to the Sin Cara business, again I think he just genuinely wanted to help. Like Arman, he doesn’t get the opportunity to do many things that are purely good and noble, and so the feeling of getting to help her and Luca clearly has somewhat of an intoxicating effect on both men haha. Even with the loss of Arman (and so the loss of his supposed reason for helping Thony with the CPS stuff) I don’t doubt that Jorge will still help her with it once he’s satisfied that she had nothing to do with Arman’s death. But ugh speaking of Arman, the way Jorge questioned her about her connection to Arman… he already knows that Thony’s husband only died a few months ago, and as far as he knows from Nadia's behaviour, her and Arman’s marriage was solid, so it’s understandable that the intensity of Thony’s loyalty to/concern about Arman is a bit confusing to him. And because he doesn’t understand it, he’s always going to view her with at least a trace of suspicion until he learns the truth. Which may even be as soon as next ep– it looks like Jorge and Ramona are going to be demanding answers from Thony about how Arman died/ whether she betrayed him to the Feds/ how she was even there in the first place etc etc, and honestly I'm desperately hoping we'll get some kind of "I would never betray Arman! I LOVED him!" outburst from her that makes both Jorge and Ramona stop in their tracks because of how clearly heartfelt and honest it is. And ngl, while we’ve seen Thony indirectly state or demonstrate her love for Arman multiple times now, it would really mean a lot to me to hear her just say it openly without holding back. Not to mention that I think it would also really help pave the way for her to be accepted into the Sin Cara/Sanchez family, which would make for interesting viewing for the rest of the season.  

Speaking of the Sanchez family, I enjoyed the flashback and getting the backstory about the caddy, and seeing more of the Eduardo/Ramona/Jorge dynamic. (I’m trying so hard not to be nitpicky about the fact that young Arman's hair was straight and young Jorge's was curly, when it should have been the opposite, lol). But I’ve been thinking a lot about what Eduardo says to young Arman in that moment about how the only way to be a good man is to work hard and make an honest living, and I think that before we meet him in S1 Arman had really internalised that, and didn’t see himself as being a good man even though he wanted to be, which is why it hurt him so much to have Thony reinforce that belief during their argument at the wedding in 1x03. But then through helping her and forming a connection with her, he sees that even though she’s witnessed him at his worst, she genuinely does believe he is a good man, and it allows him to start believing it of himself for the first time. The flashback also definitely gave us more of a sense of Arman’s relationship with Ramona and Jorge, and really added another layer to him not selling off his caddy despite the direness of his debt to RK. What Nadia said to Ramona about the caddy being Arman’s dream car seemed to prove to Ramona that Arman still loved her and Jorge, and never truly turned his back on them… and so hopefully her sense of family and honour will mean that she will now consider Nadia and Thony– Arman’s family– to be her family as well. I also really enjoyed the scene of Jorge and Ramona sitting together in the caddy, discussing their business choices/differences in their life plans, and also talking about Arman and his good heart… they’ve definitely both grown on me, partly because they’re well written, but mostly because they've helped Thony and they genuinely care about my boy Arman. I’m sad we'll never get to see an Arman and Jorge brotherly reunion, because that could have been truly great. But tbh what I’m really wondering is what will happen to my beloved caddy now that Arman's gone... will Nadia want to get rid of it because seeing it is too painful?? Will Jorge offer to take it? Will I get my dream of Thony being the one to keep it lol? Doubtful, but one can always hope.... (and I guess there’s always that fic I’ve been planning to write about it for like 3 weeks lol)

Sigh, poor Nadia gave me a lot of feels in this ep. She is working so hard to get Arman back, and handling herself amazingly well under incredibly stressful circumstances. She dealt calmly with the kidnappers (which Ramona was clearly very impressed by... a potential protege there, perhaps?). Nadia also politely yet firmly declined Ramona’s plan for Arman to be basically kept in their home, despite knowing how powerful Ramona is and how risky it would be to piss her off.  She also insisted on being at the exchange to get him back despite the risk to herself (and possibly partly because she still doesn’t trust Ramona’s intentions). She trusted Thony with the meet location, despite their complex history, despite knowing that it meant that she would have to share her reunion with her husband with the other woman he loves. Even if she only gave Thony the address because it meant getting to have a highly-trained doctor there who could be trusted completely with Arman’s life, it still means she put Arman’s wellbeing above her own wants. Honestly I respect the hell out of Nadia, and literally the only consolation I have about losing Arman is that at least I'll never have to watch her go through the heartbreak of Arman still choosing Thony over her despite all their history and everything she’d done for him. Of course, we still have to watch her going through an absolutely horrific heartbreak of a different kind, but at least instead of being alone in it, she has Thony to share that pain with. (Or at least, she will, when she gets past her initial anger and blame towards Thony). It's almost a certainty that Thony and Nadia's connection will continue and even strengthen throughout the rest of the season, and I strongly believe that Thony is going to do everything she can to support and protect Nadia now, not only because she genuinely does care about her, but also because it’s the only thing she can do now to honour Arman and give thanks for all he did for her.

Okay, last couple of things: I loved that even despite her desperate search for Arman and the ticking clock that was hanging over their heads, Thony still stopped and helped the kid’s grandfather. It was very true to who she is, and how she can’t not help the people in front of her that need her. And tbh in terms of TV medicine, this instance actually wasn’t too bad haha, even if her Epley manoeuvre was a bit off. The fact that the man turning to look at the clock helped her diagnose the vertigo was also a cool reference to the ep’s title/theme as well. But anyway the reference that I can’t quite figure out yet is the word Thony saw written in the dust on that mirrored platter thing; I’m assuming Arman wrote it as a clue in case someone found the apartment? It seems to say something like ‘Marin’ which means nothing to me rn, but they very intentionally included a shot of Thony seeing it, so I guess its meaning will become clear in the next ep or two? 

Anyway, this has been many many words and feelings, so I’m just gonna end it with this, the prayer that Thony spoke as Arman walked out of prison in 2x02, because it feels even more tragically fitting now:

Now he is freed Through your blood on the cross Through the blows to your face And through the crown of your thorns that pierced your head Deliver him from all evil From the rigor of injustice From the torment of conscience And from all darkness Welcome him into Paradise Where there will be no more sorrow No more weeping or pain Give him the blessings of the life to come As he enters into the kingdom of peace and light.

[chibigo-ma]

CHAPTER ONE of Freak [Stranger Things]

Notes: This has been in the drafts for a LONG TIME as I was an OG ST fan. There were a lot of changes and the last I wrote (a chapter of the entire S1 EP 1) has Eddie from Season 4. Pls don't hate me. There's a reason why this is still in the drafts (*ahem* I'm scared of the fandom) and I'm sharing it now bc why not. This OC, Rima, is the FIRST version of her until I changed them a bit for my SF FF. She's still the same but without the trauma. I never thought I would share this so I just reuse OCs :0

Filipino characters. 🇵🇭 This starts as a Gen FF with one established OCxCanon ship (I want to experiment with the MxM genre) and maybe or not there will be a love interest for the MC in this book. Depends on me. Although, it will take forever for that love to happen. Also depends on whether or not I give my character a love life, so far, staying single.

Also, pls be nice with the DND part. I'm so unknowledgeable with it and idk if what I wrote is fine in the DND sense.

TW. Bullying, Racist Remarks, Missing Child (Will Byers)

𝙽𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝟼𝚝𝚑, 𝟷𝟿𝟾𝟹 𝙷𝚊𝚠𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚜, 𝙸𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚊𝚗𝚊 𝙳𝚎𝚕𝚊 𝙲𝚛𝚞𝚣 𝙰𝚋𝚘𝚍𝚎

Late at night, a couple of teens played in the basement as a DnD campaign was going on. The aura was so thick and intense, that the members of the party were quiet as the dungeon master continued the campaign. "After your party settled for the night, one of you wasn't feeling too good at all," a younger Eddie Munson spoke as the others waited for him to continue. 

"That someone was none other than our Cleric herself," he pointed over to the only female and the youngest in the group, Rima Dela Cruz. 

"What the necromancer said to her before they died was bothering her a lot. 'A robot is amongst you.' What did that necromancer mean? But suddenly, she heard robot statics and looked over to the now awoken Tom to see that he had sharp teeth and a robotic body!" Eddie announced and the party groaned. 

"See! I told you we shouldn't let him come with us!" Sean exclaimed in anger. "Yeah, but he was THE perfect male wife as Eddie mentioned," Gareth had his hands up. "Let's not forget, he's rich," Jeff commented. "And he can make gourmet food," Rima pointed out and another one of their friends agreed with her. Sean groans in frustration as Eddie continues. 

"The others woke up and stood beside Rima as Tom stood up from his bed and went to attack Rima. Sean, what will you do?" Eddie asked. "Fireball!" Jeff exclaimed. "No, it's too risky, what if he hurts somebody that isn't Tom?" Gareth commented. "I'm about to throw this fireball at you two and shove it up your ass," Sean threatened the two. 

"What is the dexterity saving throw of the animatronic?" Rima asked Eddie, ignoring the bickering. "We're replacing them as Zombies so -2 Dex saves and remember DC is at thirteen," Eddie verifies. "Okay," she snaps at the bickering guys with her.

"We should use teleportation considering that it's Sean's turn, who knows, it could also be a distraction, and then we'll try to do Sacred Flame as it's my turn next. We simply have to hope our throw isn't lower than thirteen so we can deal damage and my spell damage is higher," Rima negotiated and everyone seemed to agree. 

Sean rolled a D100 and it rolled to 70. "To the field! To the field!" Everyone chanted and Eddie allowed it. "It would seem that the teleport distracted him," Eddie mentioned. "I cast Sacred Flame!" Rima exclaimed and was given a D20. "Please!" Sean exclaimed and everyone else pleaded as they watched Rima roll in anticipation. 

She let go of the die and it rolled to eighteen. "Yes!" Everyone exclaimed. "Minus 2 damage—leading to sixteen damage, it succeeds and Tom dealt so much damage!" Eddie shouts. "Aba! (Oh!)" Rima smirked as she felt satisfied. "Rima, Sean!" Everyone looked up the stairs to see Mrs. Dela Cruz standing by the door. 

"Ilang beses ko na kayong tinatawag! (I've been calling you two so many times!) It's a school night," Mrs. Dela Cruz, also known as Anna, scolds the siblings. 

"Opo, opo, ma! Mag-aayos na kami! (Okay, okay, ma! We'll fix up now!)," Sean stood up from his chair and the others sighed as they were getting to the good stuff. Rima stood up from her chair as the other guys grabbed trash and empty pizza boxes to throw out later. "Awesome that you made Fredbear's Family Diner inspire this campaign," Rima mentioned to Eddie as he helped Sean fix the D&D set. 

"Hey, you're the one who mentioned it. The poor kid though," Eddie sadly remembers that detail she told him. "Yeah, I hope the family is doing alright," Rima comments, and she grabs a wet rag to clean up the table. "We're gonna go ahead," Gareth points up the stairs. 

"See you in school!" Their other friend waved goodbye as the three left the basement, leaving Sean, Rima, and Eddie. 

"Finally," Eddie exclaims as he kisses Sean on the lips. Sean smiles in the kiss and kisses his boyfriend back as Rima looks at them in disgust. "You do know I'm still here, right? At least do it in Sean's room," Rima sassed them as she grabbed her walkie-talkie. 

"No bitches?" Sean teases as Eddie kisses his cheek. "I get bitches, but I don't want them," she countered back with a smirk. 

"You're lucky I'm not a snitch," she waved them off as she left the basement. Rima turns on her walkie-talkie and starts to change the frequencies. "Jonathan, do you copy? This is Rima speaking, come in, Jonathan," she calls out, and static comes on her end. "This is Jonathan speaking, how was your DnD session? Over," Jonathan Byers spoke on his walkie-talkie. 

"It was great. I dealt so much damage to our last boss before we got interrupted by my mom," she grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and took a drink. "Good night, anak (child)," Anna greets her goodnight. "G'night ma, night pa," she kissed her parents on the cheek and proceeded to go upstairs. 

"Besides that, I think I'm scarred for life. Just saw Sean kissing my best friend again for the tenth time today," she gagged as she got to her room. "You should get used to that by now. They've been together since, what? They were fifteen?" Jonathan chuckled. 

"True, but like ever since they came out to mom and dad, and they told the two that they were ok with it—as long as they do it in private, 'cuz you know, lots of close-minded people," she mentioned as she lay down on her bed. 

"They've been at it with one another for a year now! Probably some pent-up sexual feelings they have for one another. I still don't get it. At this point, I should tell them to use protection," she joked. "Your lack of sexual desire is showing," Jonathan chuckled. 

"And how was your day? You got home safely, right?" she asked and he went quiet. "Well, I'm at... work," Jonathan replied and Rima's eyes widened. "Dude, you know Joyce doesn't like you taking shifts when she's working. You also got to know if Will came home safely," she quietly exclaimed as she lay on her side. 

"Yes, yes. I know, but Eric asked if I could cover and I agreed. I thought we could use the extra cash," he told her and she sat on her bed. 

"Just stay safe and tell Will I said hi in the morning. He's probably on his way home now or is asleep already," she mentioned worriedly. "Alright, sweet dreams, Rim," he said softly. "Sweet dreams to you too, Jon," they turned their walkie-talkie off and turned off the lights.

👾🚲🛹🌗

"Aalis na kami! (We're going now!)" Rima and Sean shout by the front door. "Baon niyo?! (Your packed lunch?!)" Anna called out. "Nandito na! (It's here!)" They shout and Eddie looks over at Anna and smiles at her. "Thanks for the breakfast again, Anna. I'll look after these idiots for you," Eddie said the same thing every day as she laughed. 

"You'll always look after my babies. Have fun and don't get in trouble!" Anna exclaims as Eddie joins the siblings. "Love you, ma!" The siblings exclaimed once more as they closed the door behind them. "See ya!" Rima salutes the boys as she drops her skateboard and rides to school. She checks her watch to see that she has a lot of time left before her first class starts. 

She decides to check up on the Party since she knows that they get bullied a lot as well. As she walks over to the middle school, she spots the boys but rolls her eyes when she sees their bullies in front of them again. "I told you a million times, my teeth are coming in. It's called cleidocranial dysplasia," she heard Dustin say from afar as she got closer. 

"I told you a million times," one of their bullies imitated Dustin. Rima jogged over to them as she heard one of them say "Do it, freak!" "Oi!" Rima placed her hands on their shoulders as Lucas, Mike, and Dustin smiled after seeing their older friend. "What did I tell you about bullying them?" Rima glared at the bullies and they stayed quiet. 

"On the count of three, I want you two to get inside the school, out of my sight. Do I make myself," she pressed her fingers onto their collarbones lightly and they instantly wince despite how lightly she gripped them. "... clear?" She continued. She said that menacingly, the Party could notice their bullies shaking in fear. 

"Yes, ma'am!" They exclaimed as she let go of them. "One," she began to count and they quickly sprinted to the school's entrance. "Two," she stopped counting as they got inside in a panic. Rima sighed as she ruffled her hair but soon gasped as she felt arms wrapping around her. "Thank you, thank you, thank you so much, Rim!" Dustin exclaimed as that alone made Rima chuckle. 

"No problem," she patted his back and turned to the others but noticed someone missing. "Where's Will? He's always with you guys, it's practically weird not to see him with you three," they commented. "His mom said that he went to class early again and I think she's right," Lucas answered and Rima shrugged it off as a valid reason. 

"Alright, you boys take it easy now, alright? I don't want any of my little brothers getting hurt. Because remember," the Party began to smirk, "Freaks stick together," they finished her sentence. Rima ruffled Mike's and Lucas' hair and gave Dustin a huge hug before going back to Hawkins High School. "See you, Rim!" Dustin shouted and she held a hand up to acknowledge him. 

She dropped her skateboard and road down the slope. By the time she got to the entrance doors, she kicked off her skateboard and carried it as she walked the hallways of her school. She got to her locker to see the word ❝freak❞ written on her locker door. She huffs as they unlock her locker, grabs a spray bottle of rubbing alcohol and another old rug, and proceeds to remove it. 

"G'morning, Rima!" They looked behind them to see Barbara waving at her with Nancy to which she smiled. "Morning, girls," she greeted the two as she finished up cleaning. "To continue," Nancy began to speak. "We just," she proceeds to unlock her locker, "made out a couple of times." 

"We just... made out a couple of times," Barbara mimicked her and Rima giggled. "Nance, seriously?" Rima chuckled, but at the time same time felt worried for her friend. "You're gonna be so cool now, it's ridiculous," Barbara commented. "No, I'm not," Nance disagrees with her. 

"You better still hang out with us, that's all we're saying," Rima added to which Barbara nodded. "If you become friends with Tommy H. or Carol—" 

"Oh, that's gross!" "That's disgusting!" Both Nancy and Rima reacted negatively as Nancy opened her locker.  "Okay, I'm telling you, it was a one-time—" Nancy stopped talking as she watched her friends raise an eyebrow at her. "Two-time thing," she adds, and the other two chuckle as Nancy spots a note inside her locker. 

She opens it and it reads, "Meet me. Bathroom -Steve." "You were saying?" Barbara asked and Nancy bites her lips as she looks at her best friends. "Just go," Rima nudged her shoulder to encourage her friend and they watched her smile as she speed-walked to the bathroom. 

"She sure is in love with him," Barbara commented as the two watched Nancy and Steve meet with smiles and walk to the bathroom. "I don't get the whole... whatever they're having. Why is Nancy denying whatever her relationship is with Steve? Everyone can tell that they like each other," Rima mentions as she grabs her books. 

"If I got to be honest," the two looked at each other. "I'm not sure," Barbara continued and Rima shrugs. "Maybe it's because he had so many exes and possibly had sex with them. I think she's worried about it," 

"Well, I have to go to English class," Rima groans as she closes her locker and locks it. The two walked down the hallway as they spoke to one another. "I still don't get why you have to take that class. You're good at English. Better than me and Nancy," Barbara commented. 

"I don't know. It's just the whole system with immigrants needing to learn American English. The good part is I'm bilingual and I'll probably have my head explode if I learn another language," Rima placed both her hands near her forehead. "Pftshhh," she opened her fingers and moved her hands away in a "mind-blown" motion—Barbara giggled as they separated their ways. 

During school hours, she hasn't seen Jonathan or him going up to her. It was like he wasn't in school. Could something have happened at home? Rima thought about it as the bell rang for lunch. Rima stood up from her desk and grabbed her bag as she left the classroom. 

She was minding her business while walking to the cafeteria until she got pushed into a wall. 

"Hello, Ching-chong," Tommy Hagan smirked as Carole Perkins giggled. "Wrong type of Asian. We talked about this. Get it right next time," Rima sassed, and people who heard laughed. Tommy got pissed and slammed Rima again to the wall. "Don't you think this is getting old? Is this going to be our routine?" Rima asked and it was just making Tommy more frustrated. 

"Stop that!" Tommy demanded. "Hey!" The two looked over to the side to see Steve "the hair" Harrington and upon seeing him made Rima's eyes roll. "Hey, lover boy," this got Steve's attention, "can you tell your idiots to let go of me? At this point, I'm starting to think that these two are in love with me," after she said that, Tommy lets go of her and looks at her in disgust. 

"We are not in love with you," Carol answered. "Then why bother me every day? You can clearly see that I'm uninterested in whatever you guys are saying," Rima kicked Tommy in the crotch and he heaved as he dropped to the floor. She quickly got away from them and ran to the cafeteria. "Rim!" She looked over to see Eddie waving at her with Sean beside him.

She quickly went over to them and sat across from the two. "Were they holding you back again?" Sean asked to which Rima rolled her eyes. "They keep on bothering me when they can see that I'm uninterested in whatever they say about me," she pulled out her packed lunch and smiled to see that lumpia was her lunch for the day.

"They're quite annoying, not going to lie," Eddie answered but raised an eyebrow when he watched Rima looking around. "Who are you looking for?" Eddie asked and Rima looked more confused. "Jonathan didn't come to school today," she pointed out and the two boys raised an eyebrow. "Really?" Sean asked. 

"She's just sad that she isn't with her boyfriend, at the moment," Eddie joked and laughed.

"For the thousandth time, he's not and will not be my boyfriend. We see each other as siblings," she pointed out. "Walkie-talkie him later after school. Maybe something happened at home," Sean pointed out and Rima nodded. "Yeah, I'll do that later. I just hope those nasty lovebirds don't bother me again. It's getting so annoying," Rima mentioned and ate her lunch.

👾🚲🛹🌗

It was finally after school, and Rima quickly got on her skateboard with her walkie-talkie in hand. She turned it on and stopped riding her skateboard when she was far from her school. "Jonathan, do you copy? Jonathan Byers, do you copy?" She called for him and waited for a response. "Hey, Rima," she heard Jonathan sniff. 

"Hey, you doing alright? I was wondering why you weren't in school," she answered as she rode the way to her house. "Will's missing," Jonathan tells her, and she stands still as her skateboard keeps going. "What...?" Rima felt frozen and didn't realize a dip in the curb and fell off her board. She groaned in pain as she held her arm. 

"He... He's missing," Jonathan sobbed softly, "I should've been there for him," his voice broke. "Shit," she rolled slowly and looked to where her walkie was. As she tried to get her walkie, she was hit with her skateboard, and her walkie was taken. "Aww, little ching fell," Carol mocked her, Boo hoo!" Rima groaned more as Tommy was beside Carol and Steve was behind Rima. 

"Can you shut the fuck up? I've just been hit with bad news," Rima said as she stood up slowly, staggering back with Tommy pushing her. "What? Your boyfriend broke up with you?" Tommy smirked. "No, my little brother is missing," she glared and the two were stunned. They looked at one another and wondered what they would do next.

Steve sighed as he grabbed Rima's skateboard and took her walkie out of Carol's hand. "Here," Steve handed her her stuff. Rima looked between her stuff and at Steve as she didn't trust what he would do next. "I'm not going to do anything. Just get home safe," Steve stated and she slowly grabbed her stuff. "Get yourself patched as well," he told her and he watched her nod slowly.

She sped-walked away from them as she quickly turned the corner out of their sight. She inspected her walkie for damages before pushing the button. "Jonny, I can go to your house and help you and Joyce out. Sorry, I didn't reply quicker, I had some trouble kanina (a while ago)," she said on the walkie. "Hey, it's okay," he sniffed, "is it ok if you sleep over?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'll ask my mom. She deeply cares for you two and Joyce. We'll be with you guys every step of the way," she reassured him as she finally got home. "I'll update you soon. Over and out!" She turned off her walkie and got inside. 

"I'm home! Mama, nasan ka po? (Where are you?)" Rima called out to her home. "Nasa kitchen po ako! (I'm in the kitchen!)" Anna shouts and Rima goes over there. "Ma, may emergency tayo (We have an emergency.)," she tells her. "Ano nangyari? (What happened?)," Anna stopped what she was doing. "Will is missing," Rima states, and Anna's eyes widen. 

"Really?!" Anna looked heartbroken. "I contacted Jonny kanina and he told me the news. He also asked if it was ok for me to sleep over," Rima shared. 

"Oh, we will cook them dinner and eat with them. I'll call your father about it and tell Jon about it. Tell him that he'll sleep over with you two as well," Anna told her. "Noted," Rima saluted and went to fix her stuff while using her walkie to contact the two boys.

Night came and Anna finished cooking dinner. Sean Sr. was informed about the plan and is willing to go with the plan. Sean Jr. was also fine with the plan as he took Eddie home. "Are your bags ready? Papa is coming home soon na (now)," Anna informed her children as Rima watched TV with Sean going down the stairs. "Yup," he replied and sat beside Rima.

"I can't believe Will is missing. This feels surreal,"  he mentioned with a frown. "It is. Let's take note to be with someone when it's nighttime," Rima concluded as a car horn was heard. "That must be Papa," Anna quickly grabbed a few of the food as the two opened the door to leave their bags inside the car. "Hey, you two alright?" Sean Sr. asked as he popped the trunk.

"Yup! Mama made a lot of food so we have to try to fit them all in the back," Rima informed him. "I'll go help," he quickly got inside as the siblings fit their bags in the trunk. "Poor Jon," Sean sighed as he leaned on the car. "Let's try our best to help him, yeah?" Rima reassured him. "Let's help with the food for now," he said as they got inside after their parents came out.

After all the food was secured and safe, Sean Sr. backed up and drove to the Byers Abode. As they got there, Joyce quickly got out the front door and ran to her best friend. "Anna!" Joyce pounced on her friend as soon as Anna opened her door. "Will, he's there! It-It—" "It's ok. It's ok," Anna comforted Joyce as the remaining three took out the food.

"We got some goods!" Rima tried to get the mood up as she lifted two servings of food. "Rima Joy Dela Cruz, if you drop those," Anna threatened with a glare as Rima ran inside. "Rim," Jonathan helped her with the food. "Hey," she patted his back as they brought it to the table. 

"It's gonna be okay. I'll be right here. No matter what," she reassured as she still had her hand on his back. Jonathan looked like he wanted to say more, but kept it in. "This is all so very nice. Thank you so much, Anna," Joyce said as the two friends let go.

"I'll be with you throughout this investigation, no worries; I am a retired policewoman," Anna smiled. Anna Dela Cruz worked as a policewoman for years before she retired. It was only recently that she retired due to a case where it got her injured. It was issued to the doctor that exerting more than she usually has would earn her some permanent damages in the long run.

She reluctantly left her job, but it ended on a good note. "What is the update with everything?" Anna asked Joyce as the mothers stayed outside while the rest went inside to prepare the food and leave their bags inside. "He's close. I feel it in my heart," Joyce sniffled. "There was a call and...and it was his breathing," she broke down again as she held onto Anna.

It hurt Anna to see Joyce like this. She was like that when Ronnie was being an ass to her. "Don't worry. I'm here, I'm here," Anna reassured her friend as she felt a drizzle. "Shit, I think it's about to rain," Anna, who still held Joyce in her arms, ushered her inside before they got wet. 

"It's raining hard tonight," Sean Jr. mentions as plates and utensils are placed on the table. "Hey," Rima whispered to Jonathan as she got his attention. "Let's watch a movie later. I've brought tons of CDs," she tells him to try and cheer him up. "Alright," Jonathan smiled and felt his heart skipped a beat for the girl beside him. 

She has always been with him through the ups and downs of his life. He's grateful that she doesn't push him to express himself, which makes him more open to her than with anyone else, sometimes his mother. They've eaten their dinner and Rima went to change as soon as she finished her dinner. 

"Thank you Anna and Sean for letting Jon and Rima stay over," Jonathan thanked the two. "It's no problem. You and Joyce need support right now," Sean Sr. held Jonathan's shoulder. "Thank you, Sean," Jonathan smiled and nodded.

Finally, late at night, the parents decided to stay at the Byers to be there for their friend as the teens stayed in the living room. Sean Jr. had passed out earlier as the remaining two watched their fifth movie. Rima was invested in the movie while Jonathan was half listening and looking at the girl.

They had talked about Will before the movie marathon and Rima smiled at the picture he and his mom picked for the missing person poster. He had been reassured by his mother that it wasn't his fault, but the guilt still sinks in him. He's thankful that Rima doesn't push him to open up, but it makes him weirdly nervous to share on his own without her acknowledging it. 

Was it due to liking the girl for the past few years? Maybe, but he doesn't want to think about it. It still hurts to hear that she sees him as another brother and it makes him feel restricted to share the majority of his feelings with the girl. He sat still as he continued to watch the movie and his thoughts stayed put in his mind. 

:]

Translations & Pronunciations: Aba! (Ah-bah) - Oh! To express surprise, admiration, and proud expression.

Ilang beses ko na kayong tinatawag! School night pati. - I've been calling you two so many times! It's a school night.

Opo, opo, ma! Mag-aayos na kami! - Okay, okay, ma! We'll fix up now! Adding "po" and/or "opo" makes the sentence more polite and respectful. "Po" doesn't have any equivalent word in the English Language, but "Opo" usually means "Yes, Okay, etc." in a more formal and polite term. 

Anak (Ah-nak) -Son/Daughter/Child There are no specifics. "Anak" literally means "child" of any age and gender.  

Aalis na kami! (Ah-ah-lis nah kah-me) -We're going now!

Baon niyo?! (Bah-on knee-yo) -Your packed lunch/pocket money?! Depends on the context if it's either packed lunch or pocket money. In this case, it's a packed lunch.

Nandito na! (Nan-dee-toh) -It's here!

Kanina (Kah-knee-na) - A while ago.

Nasan ka po? (Nah-san kah poh) - Where are you?  "Nasan" is a shortened word from "Nasaan", which still means "Where is/are." Either "Nasan" or "Asan" works.